Saturday, 30 January 2010

Excited!

Just wanted to share a couple of exciting things that I've been working on and waiting to talk about. I am now a member of the Twisted Sketches design team. I am so grateful to Anam for having me be part of this. Here is my layout for this sketch


I am also now officially part of the Treasured Memories design team. I have been creating classes for the store full time since September. I now have a picture and link to my blog up on their side bar (which is very exciting for me) and I have my first kit of the month coming out February 1st. I am obviously biased but I think it's beautiful. It's called "Come Away With Me" and is defiantly romantic. I will have my demos ready to share on Monday.

I'm feeling really great about where things are heading for me in respect to scrapbooking and creating, I'm losing many of my inhibitions and just going ahead with what I feel is going to make me happy.

Have a wonderful weekend friends!

{xo}

Inspired

I am back from CHA and I am about to burst with ideas! I didn't know what to expect but when I walked through those doors I was completely overwhelmed. The booths, the displays, the product, the famous faces. Every which way I turned I was oohing and ahhing. It was wonderful and I am so grateful to Chantel, KC, Laurie & Daryl who let me tag along with them to California. I went there to meet new people, to find new inspiration, to discover new techniques, to jump start my creative energy for designing classes and that was exactly what I walked away with! While the rest of the crew went off to meetings and various booths to place orders I set off on my own wandering in and out of booths. I did tons of make n' takes, watched demos, took tons of pictures of product samples, lined up for give aways (hello freebies) and simply marveled in all that CHA offers. This is the floor map for the show.... wow. Below are pictures of my favorite moments and favorite booths.
The walk every morning into the sunshine and palm trees.

One of my favorite experiences was meeting the Glitz girls. Three of the sweetest and friendliest gals at the show. Everyone I was with already knew them so it was nice to meet them and sit down and chat. On the off chance that you read this- Laura -KC & I went to the Corner Bakery for a chocolate bundt cake- thank you! You were right! I ate my cake in bed on my last night there and it was unbelievable! Anyways, their new product is gorgeous! I'm in love with Distressed Couture & Vintage Love.
My other fav moment that I have no photo of was having dinner with all the Canadians and meeting the Canadian Scrapbooker ladies.

Let me tell you something friends. I love Stacey Julian! I had a chance to talk with her (and tell her how awesome I thought she was) and she gave me the tiniest jar of sprinkles. So great.

Hello Elizabeth Kartchner! Her new line is so cute and she is so stinkin' adorable. Can't wait to have her product.

Make n' take with Tim Holtz. This man never didn't have a swarm of ladies all around him. He has his name on just about every second booth. He's every where! His new stuff is AwEsOMe!!!

Making Memories booth- fabulous. KC & I on the Vespas.

The Making Memories Vintage Groove line by Jill Schwartz. A jewelry line that has so many possibilities.

The Girls' Paperie by Margie
This picture just doesn't do the booth justice, it made me happy to just walk by. I also felt the same about MME, Tattered Angels, 7 Gypsies, Glitz & Prima.

Tim Holtz's booth. Can these people come to my house please!

Graphic 45's booth! Amazing! This booth was all about altered art! Every day at 1:30pm they gave away a paper pad from their new collections to the first 50 people in line. One new collection a day. We lucked out and managed to get 3 of the 4. So many line ups but so worth it!
Anywhoo, I still have to unpack, I have a mess in every room in our apartment and I have all my demo pages due for my Treasured Memories February kit. I have one last post and then I'm off.
Nightie night!
{xo}

Thursday, 21 January 2010

Fight or Flight

Picture it.
Me, sitting on the couch curled up reading Have a Little Faith in my Lou Lou's, hoodie and socks with clouds on them. Not a threatening picture. I hear rustling outside my door, weird, it couldn't be Cory home from MMA yet, the cats don't like it either. I get up and look out the peek hole, not Lorne (my neighbor), no one there. I open the door a crack and peek out. What the? My heart rug and vase with willows are gone. I am pissed. I love that rug. I drop my book, leave the door open and run up the stairs. There is someone there, trying to gather up all her "new" finds. I run at the door, she hears me and runs. I yell at her, she drops the vase (it's awkward, full of willows for God's sake) I keep chasing her. I grab at her, getting her hood, she pulls, it rips off. I keep at her. She stumbles into a parked car. I push her into the car yelling at her to give me my stuff back. She's rambling about something. High, she's high. Most likely meth. All she can think to do is search in her purse for smokes. I am still yelling at her. I grab my stuff and some other persons rugs. (yes people, she had an arm full of rugs) She has an orange cap on, I knock it off, take a good look at her and yell- "Now I Know What You Look Like". I let her go and tell her to get out of here, don't come back, that I'll be watching for her. I come back in to the building gathering up all the stuff, three rugs, a fire extinguisher and my vase w/willows, knock on Lorne's door just to be sure I'm not alone. He tells me to take my socks off cuz they're soaked. I look down and realize that yes, they're covered in snow. I come in the apartment, heart pounding a thousand beats a minute. Like it's going to come out of my chest. I take a deep breath & lock the door.
I am not weak. I am strong. I will not be taken advantage of and I will always stand up for what I believe is right & just. Always.
{xoxo}
**EDIT
After getting in "trouble" by more than a few of you I thought I should make a little side note. I would most defiantly not recommend doing what I did. Yes, my safety far out weighs my love for those material possessions. But at the end of the day it had nothing to do with a rug or a vase or anything else. It had to do with the fact that I was being disrespected. That I was being taken advantage of. That I work hard to have the things I have. That I save my money to buy the things I want . That I get up every morning and go to work to have those things. I didn't once think about myself while everything was happening. All I thought about was "Oh no you don't!" Would I have made a different choice had it been a man? I think most defiantly! Would I do the same thing if somthing like that ever happened to me again? I don't know. All I do know for sure is that I trust my instincts, they have never gotten me in trouble before. As for the lady who caused all this, she lives in the building across the street, the office suspected her and I do believe she's been dealt with. I did however move my fabulous heart rug inside ;-)... just incase.

Monday, 18 January 2010

Sharing

I have challenged myself to scrap one layout a week (minimum) that is just for me, not for a deadline, a class or a client. So far so good. I post them every Monday on my other blog but will try to put them up here as well. Thanks for looking.
{xo} Nadine

Sunday, 17 January 2010

Classes

More demos, these are my next two classes @ Treasured Memories. Be My Valentine?
Saturday, Jan. 30
10am-12:30pm
Valentine Accordion Keepsake
Saturday February 6
1:00pm- 3:30pm
Thanks for looking.
{xo} Nadine

Friday, 15 January 2010

Creating

I have been a busy girl designing & creating demos for classes! I mailed one demo off to my good friend Anne Marie on Monday and these 3 are on there way to Kyla in Edson. I love creating projects and I have to say, this past week I think I did some of my best work! I hope they feel the same. I have demos for Treasured Memories left to do, which I should be doing instead of blogging.... but alas, here I am.
I have also been given the opportunity to put together a kit of the month at Treasured Memories for February. Keep your eye open at the beginning of the month for my kit- "Come Away with Me", now I have to get my demos done using the kit I created. Again, shouldn't be blogging. Meh.
Lots of good things happening in my little world and I am truly grateful. As I watch the news just now I am reminded just how fortunate and blessed we all are. That every once in awhile we are reminded by forces outside of our control to put our lives into perspective. My heart hurts for what has happened in Haiti, if you can there are many groups that are taking donations to help out the efforts there and every little bit helps. Red Cross, World Vision, & Doctors Without Borders

Sunday, 10 January 2010

Random Bits

What kind of side show am I running here? This is what I find on my kitchen table... Dear Charlie, Cats don't go on tables! Thanks! Love, momma
One picture that irks me and another one that make me oh so happy! I hung lights above our bed (thanks for the inspiration Jenice) and it feels like magic! Not such a great picture but I love going in there at night when the lights are on, it's so pretty!

This past week was full of first for me. I finally put my inner critic aside and submitted some layouts to various scrapbook calls. I'm not even worried if they do or don't pick me, it felt so good to just do that! In fact, I submitted 7 different layouts- whoa!!! This was a pretty big deal for me and I'm pretty proud of myself. First step is always the hardest. I also didn't just try one new recipe, I have tried 5 in the last 10 days. I made BBQ chicken and made the BBQ sauce from scratch, I made a tomato, basil quiche- Yumm! I made a rustic basil pesto pasta- with pesto from scratch. I then tried a creamy tomato and steak pasta and last night I made a mushroom stroganoff. It has been so fun trying new recipes! I'm not sure what's on the list for this next week but it may just be a bit tame in comparison, I have 7 demos due by the end of the week and as per usual I haven't started a single one... I work best under pressure. It allows me no time for judging so I do the work, no thinking, just creating. ;-)

Have a great week friends!

{xo}Nadine

Tuesday, 5 January 2010

I {heart} KC

Here's my new sock monkey from KC... isn't he fabulous!!!!
Thank You! Thank You!
{xoxo}

Sunday, 3 January 2010

One Little Word

I chose reinvent as my focus word for 2010. I was blog hopping this past week and stumbled across this quote on Lindsay's blog which on that particular day felt like it was written for me and completely fit with my one little word...

"Somewhere along the line I realized that there is a difference between who I've been and who I'm supposed to be. I don't even know who or what exactly I'm supposed to be...but I know who I'm not supposed to be, and that's who I have been. So I go forth: Growing, changing, aspiring, and learning in hopes that when I am called to be who I'm supposed to be, I can stand up and strongly say 'I am ready.'" -Unknown

I am using this word to inspire me & to drive me. To reinvent myself, my attitudes about myself and others, to reinvent my perspective. To move my life in the direction I want it to go instead of simply going through the motions. To be present. I prefer not to use the word "resolutions", which I feel packs such negative energy, I choose instead to find my focus for the year. What do I want to focus on to move me towards that "reinvention". I made lists for myself, for my work, for my relationship with Cory. A few that I'm focusing on this year-

-having a healthy, fit lifestyle
-clean eating- discover here or here (which I’ve been trying out now for about a year but really have gotten serious about in the last 2 months- not an easy feat over the holidays but it truley does make me feel so much better)
-going organic where we can (wow, do friuts & veggies ever taste better)
-read minimum 1 book a month
-try a new recipe once/week (I've tried 3 already, so yummy)
-discovering my personal style (which I see is something many people are working on)
-try something for the first time once/month
-stop caring what other people think about me, or what I think they think about me

Those are just a few of the steps towards "reinvent", the list goes on and it makes me feel excited & inspired for this year. I want so much from myself, I want to look back at this year with a full heart! Happy New Years Friends!
{xoxo}